“I am here as a tour operator and I play football in the first division.”

“It looks like a Simpsons town. Here there is only one thing: “cinema”, “supermarket”, “pharmacy” … ». however Avarua, the capital of the Cook Islands – An oasis lost in the immensity of the Pacific Ocean – There is also Milan. Jacopo Dozzo has come a long way, quite literally: He started his own business and found the love of his life, but to do so he had to travel 17,125 kilometers separate Malpensa from Rarotongathe only international airport (the “airport”, after all) of an archipelago on the other side of the world.

So Rarotonga.
Four stops, 38 flying hours, 12 time zones. We have crossed the date line, and we are still here yesterday.

We have the coordinates of the island. And her?
“Melanion from Niguarda, 34 years old, nine years in this paradise.”

Life on flip flops.
“But not a life on vacation. I walk around barefoot in the office, but we work and how ».

profession?
“Tour operators. I help an Italian tourist, 300 come a year. With my mother and partner, I also started the company Eco Tour, where I organize excursions, diving and snorkeling. The only vacation is the vacation of others.

Why exactly cooks?
“Coincident. Before I moved there, I hadn’t even heard of them.

Did he randomly point his finger at the globe?
“In 2012 I went to study tourism for a year in New Zealand. My parents came to see me and offered to visit an island in the Pacific Ocean.”

And she chose the chef.
The travel agent did. I asked for a quote for Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, which are the only ones I know. He suggested a more isolated and wild destination. Celebrities sliding doors».

first effect?
“It looked like Jurassic Park Island, but with inhabitants more hospitable than dinosaurs. Besides, they were all quite filling, so I thought it was bad not to starve to death. I said, “It’s my place.”

Why radically change your life?
“In Milan I made a title for Russell in Biomedicine. the hard working student. I was supposed to become an x-ray technician. After 600 hours of training I realized it wasn’t for me. I dropped everything and started bartending seasons. Sicily, London… ».

Did his parents agree?
“Always. My mother offered to buy me a house with my grandmother’s money, but when I told her I’d rather invest it to study in Auckland, she didn’t object. Now I can get her to move here with me.”

Alle Cook has found love.
“On the first working day, I met my partner, Cora. I’m behind the counter serving cocktails, she sings. We’ve been together for nine years.”

Is it difficult to find work?
“Not if you know English well and can adapt to it. I started working as a waiter, then a year later I got a job at a travel agency. Adhering to European work ethic can make a difference here.”

salary?
“About 1,600 euros at the exchange rate. My company bills about 40k. I do not lack anything, I live in a house by the sea with a garden and three rooms. But I’m not the pasha, nobody can do that here. Life is expensive. Living in such a small place is beautiful, but it has problems.”

any?
“The houses are few and very expensive. In Rarotonga it’s like Milan. And then all the goods are imported by freight, which has two consequences: it’s much more expensive, and it may end up being over.”

Example?
I’ve been without a car for a month because I’ve run out of spare parts. Two tourists were left without a camera due to the failure of the camera and the delay in supplies by ship.”

How did he integrate?
“The key is humility. Many Europeans are accustomed to treating the locals as if they were children of an inferior god. But this is their home. The islanders understand if you ignore them: they are simple and not stupid.”

sun sea. Do you ever run the risk of boredom?
“Not if you understand how to pass the time. And it’s not easy at first.”

With what logic?
“You have so much at your disposal that you have to train yourself to spend it. In Milan it takes three hours between flight, queuing and parking. Here you finish work at 4 pm, and after that you can only think of yourself.”

And what does she do to herself?
“Something meant for others too. I volunteer as a firefighter, it’s always been my dream. Then I play football. Division I.”

truly.
“The same always applies, there is only one championship. I have terrible feet, but I can say that I scored in the first division. When I get citizenship, I can also be called up to join the national team. want to satisfy. Home of the Cook Islands ».

technical level?
“In the FIFA ranking we are 189 out of 211. Not really Brazil, let’s say.”

How is the food?
“Fish marinated in coconut milk is fine, but I would give my life for pork.”

What do you miss in Milan?
Camilo Inresti Bar in Niguarda. and my friends. I hear them on Whatsapp but it’s different. I was not there at important moments in their lives, at their weddings, at their children’s christenings. and I am sorry. But going back and forth is impossible. The cost of the trip is up to a month’s salary.

Will you come back someday?
“no”.

And what is beyond that?
“Impossible, this place is the end of the world. In all respects.”